Other than sneakers squeaking on the hardwood and the ball bouncing, the only sound that could be heard in the Watterson gymnasium was the booming voice of coach Vince Lombardo ricocheting off the walls and ceiling.

Lombardo, who is a health and physical education instructor and dean of boys at the school, was amid a two-hour class of a different kind. No one dared daydream in the back of the room.

“Matt? Understand? Capeesh?” he said. “Make sure you make them kick the ball right back out, right? A double-team is better than no one being there. What do we do in this situation?”

“March Madness” is the best time of year for Lombardo. He has been so preoccupied with the run to the Division II state tournament that his office looks like a weather event has struck, with a stack of physics books sitting on the floor, pictures needing to be hung and boxes of T-shirts and other things resting on tables.

The Eagles’ regional championship trophy, with the cut-down net sitting on top, is atop a filing cabinet.

Watterson (25-2) will play Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (19-9) in a state semifinal at 2 p.m. today in a rematch of the 2013 championship game won by the Eagles.

“If we weren’t in the state tournament, my wife, Cindy, and I would be sitting in the stands watching it,” Lombardo said. “I love the state tournament. It’s also great that we’re still playing because that honey to-do list keeps growing. It’s special to keep trying to get a team moving forward — getting better — and being positive.”

It took a state championship for Lombardo to get credit. He has won seven Central Catholic League championships, including the past three, and seven district championships.

Lombardo, though, has been working at a football power, isn’t a colorful quote for the media and has never been a self-promoter. With him, it’s always the players first.

Most Watterson players know all about Lombardo long before they enroll because they attend his summer basketball camp for elementary-school children.

Senior forward Matt Hughes said Lombardo makes everyone feel at ease.

“Coach doesn’t yell,” he said. “What he does is tell these jokes that I don’t know if anyone understands. He gets everybody to play hard. You learn a lot. I know he corrected my shooting form.”

Lombardo grew up in Reynoldsburg and graduated from St. Charles in 1978. He played on the same team as future Ohio State player Marquis Miller.

“I was no more than a solid player,” Lombardo said. “I certainly wasn’t a star. But I always loved the game.”

One year after graduating from the University of Dayton in 1982, he was hired as junior-varsity coach at Marion Catholic. The next season, he was a rookie varsity coach at age 24. Nine years later, it was on to Watterson.

“I like to say that I got both jobs because no one else wanted them,” Lombardo said. “They weren’t good jobs at the time.”

Lombardo’s best coaching came during last season’s state tournament run when he was the symbol of calm, especially when St. Vincent-St. Mary was pressing and cutting into the Eagles’ lead in the fourth quarter of the title game.

“I told them to just keep playing like you know you can,” he said. “What I’ve learned is that it’s best to provide the players composure. That paid off at the Schott last year for the kids. They played through things. I was so proud of them. They answered the call.”

Did Lombardo whoop it up in private? Of course he didn’t.

“I gave thanks,” he said. “I was blessed. We’ve got great kids from great families at this school.”

Lombardo apologized for the state of his office.

“It’s going to get done — someday,” Lombardo said of tidying things up. “Right now, it’s all about the kids. We’ve got to keep them moving mentally and physically. I love to practice at this time of year. I love the teaching aspect.”